1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate connection structure in which a second connector mounted on a second substrate is detachably attachable to a first connector mounted on a first substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are used in, e.g., medical fields and industrial fields. Examples of the endoscopes include what are called electronic endoscopes with an image pickup apparatus incorporated in a distal end portion of an insertion portion thereof. For the electronic endoscopes, there is a demand for image quality enhancement, and thus, e.g., an increase in number of pixels in image pickup devices is being pursued.
In the endoscopes, there is a long transmission passage connecting the image pickup apparatus incorporated in the distal end portion of the insertion portion and, for example, a video processor, which is an external apparatus. Therefore, a relay substrate that amplifies a drive signal for an image pickup device is provided inside the endoscope operation portion to enhance the image quality and reduce a diameter of a signal cable inserted inside the insertion portion.
Inside the endoscope operation portion, many incorporated endoscope components are inserted in addition to the signal cable. Examples of the incorporated endoscope components include, e.g., a light guide fiber bundle for supplying illuminating light, an air feeding tube included in an air feeding conduit, a water feeding tube included in a water feeding conduit, a dual-purpose tube that serves as a suction conduit and a treatment instrument conduit, and bending wires that make a bending portion perform a bending operation.
Thus, the relay substrate is configured to have a small size and is provided in the endoscope operation portion in consideration of assembly and repair workability.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-277534 indicates a fill-like connector structure that enables reduction in height and space of a connection portion, the connector structure preventing a female connector and a male connector from being separated even when the connector structure is subject to impact or vibration.